Never Forgo Destiny
by Rage Lonethorn
Summary: As Rage Lonethorn grows older, she realizes she's bound for greatness...but that doesn't mean things get easy. With the stakes raising higher, an annoying male accomplice, and a price on her head, the journey to her destiny begins...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter I

"Rage," Emeena chimed, "Come on, Rage." She smiled genuinely, her young crow's feet crinkling. Her hair was covered in ferocious dark curls and her eyes revealed a lenient hazel, but determination had sheltered itself beneath them. Emeena Lonethorn was calling for Rage, and stood patiently.

They were at home; their home on Skip 1 of Smuggler's Run. The floor was made of a dark stone and the walls were an expensive metal, made especially to keep one safe. Emeena's only reason for the walls was to keep Rage safe, no one else, not even herself. The air was stagnant and zealously aromatic, yet only ones who sensed such emotions would have noticed it. It was a place many families could have enjoyed if they ever had the opportunity to live there.

"Mama," Rage called back, rushing into the room. She was young and cheerful, innocence in her wet stone eyes. Her hair was dark and all one length; it rested on her shoulders, covering one eye at an angle. Her small black cloak was one size too big and hung over her body loosely, especially the sleeves at her hands; it was thrown over them ineptly. Her skin was light and clean, though a slight cut was across her left cheek.

Emeena picked up her child truly content, and held her closely. "How are you today?"

"I'm good, Mama." Rage smiled unpretentiously, the smile of a child.

"You know Mama loves to hear that. Is Daddy going to teach you today?" Emeena hid her concern, though it was clear she was struggling to do so. Rage was Emeena's pride and joy, her life, her happiness in a vessel of sorrow; Rage was her daughter.

"Yes, Daddy's goin' to teach me. I get to make things move, Mama!" Rage's face lit up brightly and Emeena grinned at her merriment.

Emeena thought softly to herself, _She doesn't know what it is. She must think it's just a slight of hand, nothing more. What if she knows it, my daughter? The Force…it couldn't be helping her. We told them, we told them—_

A thud stirred her thoughts as it trespassed. Vil Lonethorn walked into the room, his boots thudding against the floor stiffly, but his face wore a wide toothy grin. His armor was old, rusted, worn by other ancestors. It protected him when times were fatal, but not when it was unnecessary; this made it difficult to determine what the material was. It had a crest shaped about the front area, almost too craggy to make out. He stared at his wife and child before speaking. "Good day, Emeena."

"Vil, how was your day?" Emeena gave a small smile towards her husband. There was so much about him she never understood, yet she never questioned it.

"It was good. I made sure to keep everything under control in my sector. But how was my Ragey?" Vil adored Rage and nearly swiped her from his wife's hands.

"She was Rage, I'll tell you that." Emeena looked at her giggling daughter. "Let's just say, one of your Medical Droids saw the last of its life today."

"Was it Tera?" Vil glanced around carefully, hoping not to see his Tera on the floor in pieces.

"No, you know she loves Tera. It was an older model, surely nothing valuable."

"They're all valuable."

"Well then, we might have a problem."

"Rage, is this true?" Vil gazed at his daughter with interest.

"Daddy," Rage said, her eyebrows scrunching together. "The droid was in my way. He was bein' a meanie, so I did what you said. I used the lightsaber."

Vil couldn't help but laugh. "That's my girl! It's good those lessons come in handy."

"Vil," Emeena scowled, "You can't always be that tough. Look." She gestured towards the cut on Rage's cheek.

"That was completely accident; she tripped, Emeena. It had nothing to do with her training." Vil carefully picked Rage out of his wife's arms. "She still has more to do today."

"Just, please, be careful. Remember, you may get so many technics to teach, but we only get one Rage Lonethorn." Emeena's eyes pleaded silently before Vil turned, disregarding her. He loved his wife, he truly did, but they didn't think the same. He was a Sith, she was a Smuggler. How the two came to be was a sight on its own, but it never did matter to them. They lived for the future, the grasp on each concept to be made into wonder. The only thing that was keeping them together was Rage, and that made things all the better.

Vil continued on, out into the back of his home. It was a cloak-and-dagger spot, only few of them knew where it was considering it was hidden. It was behind corners and doors, passages and clicks. Rage stared about, glorying at the large space where she always came. Although she came often, it never stopped her from enjoying the likes of it. She may have been young, but she was smart; she knew that it meant something brilliant, something that would help her.

He set his daughter down on the soil and walked to the opposite side of the room swiftly. He had a lot on his mind as he paced to his position. _I can't believe I lied to Emeena,_ he thought to himself, _I shouldn't do that. It wasn't my fault, Rage was in the way. The steel blade was dull, it couldn't have hurt her that much, not enough to complain about. _He watched his daughter stare at the room wondrously. _No, I didn't even know she was there until I whipped around. She shouldn't have been standing there, it wasn't my fault._ "Rage, are you ready, sweetie?"

"Yeah, Daddy. What am I going to do?" Rage got her attention to her father and waited.

"You see this boulder?" Vil, using the Force, moved the large boulder from next to him to the midpoint between them, leaving yards between them still.

"Yes."

"Bring it to you the way I showed you." His voice suddenly became doused firmness, very powerful like a leader.

Rage nodded and closed her eyes, a habit her dad didn't like too much, but never tried to teach her otherwise. She inhaled and focused on the boulder, finding it in the room as a blind person. She was using waves to search before grasping it. She never knew what happened until she opened her eyes, hoping the task had been accomplished. Her focus was sitting attached to the big rock, becoming something with it, not one, but a partner. They were dependent, having trust in one another.

Rage opened her eyes.

The sarsen was inches from her face and dropped to her feet as she noticed how close it was. "Like that?" Rage asked, sounding almost bored.

"Great job," Vil applauded despite her attitude towards it. He wanted her to feel like progress would get her farther if she understood someone was fond of it, that someone cared about how powerful she became.

It sparked a small smile on Rage's face. Before she could say another word, the door near her slid open. Two men hurried in, blasters at hand and grim looks on their faces. They both had matching brown cargo pants and dark shirts, but they contrasted far from each other. One was tall and bulky with light blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, his hands were held tightly around the blaster gun as he aimed it at Rage. The other was an average height with no hair at all, but his chubby fingers aimed the blaster at Vil. Their faces were grimy and wrinkled, not from age, but from experience in their business.

Vil kept his face composed but held his hands up. "Can I help you fellas'?"

"Shut your mouth." The one with chubby fingers spoke sternly. "We're looking for a Vilsailant Q. Lonethorn, and I'm guessing that's you." He grinned wickedly to reveal several rotten and yellow teeth, bathed in decay and foul odors.

Vil took the order nicely and waited, that's all he could do. Speaking and making any unnecessary moves would mean his daughter's life. The tall one had the blaster to Rage's head, the look on her face was scared and confused, unknowing of what was going on. Her father wanted to wrap his arms around her and say that everything was okay, but even he couldn't do that. _Rage_, he reached out to her with his mind, _Don't move at all. Daddy's going to do something; he's going to help us. Don't move at all, sweetie, please, just don't—_

Vil's thought was cut off as a man in white robes entered the room. The white was dazzling and bright, unlike any he'd seen. The man's face aged by time and years of stress, but it was intellect. He had a cotton-ball-like beard hanging from his lower face and approached the only real man in the room. "Vilsailant Q. Lonethron," he breathed.

Vil nodded as notification.

The man pulled his lightsaber off his belt and activated the bright azure blade; it hummed to life and he raised it a bit higher. "We found you. I hope you didn't honestly think you could hide from his; trying to take us down isn't exactly the wise thing to do. So, for the sake of yourself," he swung the blade straight across Vil's neck, making a clean cut. The last expression on his face lingered before his head fell to the flooe, staining the soil with blood. A silence fell upon the room and Rage's eyes stared at her father's body while it went limp against the ground.

"Yzuk, what do you want us to do with the body?" The man with the chubby fingers no longer had a grin on his face, but a sorry look. It hadn't been the first time he witnessed a homicide, but it was the first where a child had watched.

"Leave it; no one will need to see it again." The man in the robes kept the blade on, its humming almost like a twisted laughter. It had gotten another victim with its power, surely not its last.

"What about the girl?" The tall one shoved at Rage's head with the blaster, her grey eyes terrified.

Yzuk let his eyes rest upon Rage for seconds before shifting. "Leave her here, unharmed. Our job was to only get rid of her father, not her. Come." He waved his hand and the men followed like lost puppies in the rain, leaving Rage alone with the corpse.

Rage stood still, trying to understand, but she was too young. She knew her father was dead, but didn't know that meant he wasn't coming back. "Daddy? Daddy?" She came to his body and became nervous at the spot where there should have been a head and face.

Emeena came through the doorway minutes later. She wasn't hurt but crouched down next her husband. Her love and sorrow swept through her like a thunderstorm. Hot tears welled up in her eyes before falling onto his armor.

"Mama?" Rage tugged at her mother's sleeve.

Emeena gawped at her daughter and stood up, wiping her tears away. "Rage, I'm sorry." Her voice was muffled with warmth and she fled the room. She wouldn't be returning.

Rage thought to herself too many things. She didn't know what was going on, but she did not want to know. A sense of loneliness caressed her and she felt herself release waterworks. She stuck her fingers to her mouth and whistled.

An odd droning sound came closer as it traveled through the multiple corridors, finally finding her. A droid hovered into the room; it was a round body with three mechanical arms, one metal eye that glowed green, and an antennae protruding from the top of its head. "Yes, Master Rage?" Tera spoke in a machine-driven voice of a man.

"Tera," she wept and attempted to keep herself together. "We need to get our stuff and leave. Daddy's not…"

"There, there, Master Rage." One of the arms reached out and patted Rage on the back. "I will help you; you are my new master, I see. Where do you want to go?"

"We'll go anywhere. We'll hide and I'll train me like Daddy did." She wiped away the last of her tears and her face took on a new natural look of fury. This was her not. They quickly gathered up all the things they thought they needed before fleeing the home. Rage took control and led Tera around before finally stopping in an alley for the night.

The next day when they awoke, they celebrated Rage's fifth birthday.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter II

"Tera, hurry up," Rage whined as the Med droid hovered over to her quickly. They were standing in a slim alleyway, with tall buildings at their sides. The shade was comforting, crawling around the edges of everything without the sunlight directly on it.

"Yes?" Tera's mechanical voice had become soothing to Rage, like a parent to child. That's how it was among them. Tera took care of her as best he could and Rage, well, she played the child part. He never knew what would come from her but always tried his best to teach her, though he found she was quite the teacher herself.

"Do you remember where we hid the bag?" She took one step out of the alley and into the sunshine, seeing various creatures and humans scuttle about on the nice day. It was warmer than usual on Skip 1 but that didn't stop Rage from wearing her black cloak, once too big and now perfect size.

"Of course, Master," he answered smugly, soaring above her.

"Tera, if I told you once, I've told you a bunch of times. Just call me Rage." She looked up at an angle and gave him a look even a droid would understand.

"Rage, huh?" A voice from down the alley spoke.

Rage spun her body around completely to face a girl leaning against the wall a few meters away. She was about the same age as Rage, ten standard years. Her hair was the dirtiest and darkest shade of blonde that it was almost to the point of being brown. It was loose and fell on its own, knowing how to adjust to the girl's appearance. She had on white cargo pants with a belt and a dark blue shirt with a vest over it. Her eyes shone blue with wonder at Rage as she crossed her arms.

"Yeah, who's asking?" Rage was young but she'd seen a lot in her years. She would have been dead if she hadn't picked up on tricks quickly, or if her father's blood hadn't pulsed through her own veins.

"Athena Rose," she announced. Rage watched her eyes hand on Tera a second longer than they needed to.

"Can I help you?" Rage asked rudely and slightly annoyed, not wanting to deal with the girl standing ahead.

"Maybe, maybe not. How come I haven't seen you around before?"

_Typical_, Rage thought. _Another one come to take my droid._ She was simply annoyed at the thought, just as she was each time it happened. "How come I haven't seen _you_ before?"

"I try not to be seen. So, that's an odd droid." She eyed Tera smiling.

"Tera? I guess he is." Tera looked at Rage without an expression.

Athena pulled a wrench off her belt. "I hope you don't mind if I take a look." A grin grew across her mouth instantly.

"In fact, I do mind. You're not touching him." Rage managed a sneer and stared her down.

"Wanna' bet?"

_I know exactly what she is, I sense it. I know exactly what she wants, my Tera droid. It's a shame she doesn't know exactly what she's doing._ Rage found a wicked smile on her face as she watched Athena prepare to throw the wrench at her. The second it left Athena's hand with much effort behind it, Rage took over. She lifted her hand rapidly wrapped her energy around the metal and used her power to slow it down, the power of the Force. She let it drop to her feet before sliding it to Athena's feet, then put her hand back to her side. Athena's mouth gaped open in surprise as Rage watched her, expressionless.

"Master Rage," Tera voiced, "I think Athena Rose is a thief."

"Well no duh, metal brain. And the term is _smuggler-in-training._" Athena picked up her own wrench. "So, you're a Jedi? Come to take my grandfather?" She pouted.

"No, I despise Jedi, but let me make one thing clear. You don't touch Tera." Rage sneered once more.

"Master Rage doesn't like me being fiddled with," Tera crooned as a backup. "Nor does she like herself to be touched."

"Great to know," Athena declared sarcastically. "So," Athena waved her hand to lure Rage closer, "Let's go."

Rage hesitantly took a few steps forward, approaching the young smuggler cautiously. "Go where?"

Athena chuckled to herself. "We're going to meet my grandfather of course, where else?"

"Why him?" Rage faltered.

"Well, seeing as we're going to be best friends and all, you might as well meet my family." Athena made the answer seem so obvious to Rage, grinning at her stunned look.

"Friends?"

"You betcha'." Athena tugged Rage along by her sleeve, whipping her through the corners of the alley hastily. Tera hovered right along right behind them, ready to assist his master at any given moment. They reached Athena Rose's hidden home in no time.

Tera knew something about Rage was unusual, he'd seen how other girls her age acted. Sure, she had no parents, but it was more than that; she was showing superiority even he as a droid couldn't comprehend. Had her parents known that? He didn't want to find out, knowing it would cause trouble for her, something he didn't want yet. Though Tera was a droid, he was thinking. It was how he was programmed by Vil Lonethorn, to think, to process, to have an opinion at the right moments. Maybe Vil knew he would need a droid equipped with those things, so that they would help his daughter. Had he known he was going to die? Tera quit thinking about it and focused on Rage as she introduced herself to the Rose home.

"Are we ready to go?" Rage looked at the cigarette in her hand before thinking twice. She let it burn and smashed the tip into the ashtray, the smoky scent filling the room. _Not worth it_, she thought to herself. _I'd rather be killed by a living creature than an inanimate object._ She wiped her hands off on her black cloak, a few days old and it already had rips in it. She adjusted it haughtily, smiling to herself. It was signature; nothing else could make her Rage Lonethorn besides that robe, without it she was another nobody in the world. Although no one knew her, she was a nobody with a plan of action.

"Just about." Tera replied in his metallicky voice. He came into the room, his motor purring quietly for the first time in years.

"Alright then, let's get a move on. I want to talk to Finn before Athena gets home." Rage fixed her hair, brushing a piece behind her ear. Her hair was longer, past her shoulders by inches but with newly side-swept bangs, it was darker than when she was a child. Her eyes were colder, a glacier like grey that pierced thru people at second glance. She was taller, leaner, her body now made for acrobatics. Her face had matured, it was round and detailed, not so much with marks but bone structure. The one thing that truly dignified it was the slight scar across her left cheek, it was faintly faded but the memory was still held within it.

"Yes, Master Rage."

She scowled at her droid, as always. "Tera, I swear…Just call me Rage." She clenched her teeth tightly. It had bothered her for so many years that her wonderful droid could do everything except follow one simple request.

If Tera could have smiled, he would have. Instead he answered back innocently to her. "I do apologize, Rage. It's a force of habit and old habits die hard. Now, if I might ask, why do you want to speak to Finn?"

"I like his stories." Her small frustration melted away. "We'd better hurry, though. Finn Rose doesn't like to be by himself and Athena isn't home yet. She said she was bringing her brother, weird though. I never knew she had family outside of good ol' Finn."

"Didn't she say he wasn't a blood brother?"

"Probably, but still, I didn't hear of him till a few weeks ago. Some brother." She walked over to the open door and walked through carefully. It wasn't her house and she reluctantly left with Tera. The owners wouldn't be home for a while, and she'd miss the look on their faces when they realized how much of their stuff was gone. Rage got by on her own just fine, even if she asked a few venders for some assistance once in a while.

They headed out onto the streets and Rage held her hood up, making sure her face was concealed when she looked down. The heat was building around everyone, but he swept around them slyly. Smuggler's Run wasn't her home, that's how Rage saw it. It was just where she so happened to be at the time. She'd been on it for nineteen years, not born on it though. Her body had become accustomed to the weather, reacting only when necessary.

"This one, right?" She breathed out lowly, enough for only Tera to hear. She'd halted at a corner of a bar that turned left into an alley.

Instead of answering, he drifted into the tight space, only a meter in width with plenty of height. Rage trailed behind him eagerly. She trusted that he knew the way to the Rose's perfectly, it's just who he was. Rage took light steps in her black moccasins, the sound of her feet pattering on the ground filling the alley. She'd noticed the temperature change from the willing shade, it refreshed her enough. They approached an intersection and Rage turned the corner.

Suddenly, a big palm covered her mouth and pulled her around the corner completely. Rage's eyes widened at the man holding her. He was taller than the average male with dark brown hair shagged on his head. He had on a loose pair of dark pants with a shirt and vest to cover his torso and such. His jawline was strong and masculine, half of his face was shaded in with a five 'o' clock shadow and any women would have sworn his body had been chiseled with perfection. He was sturdy and rough, his hands were calloused and scarred, but he never minded. He secretly knew how to appeal to women in any and all ways, but he considered it a tool.

Rage's eyes stared up coldly into his deep hazel ones. She was shorter than this stranger by a few inches, making her seem trivial and petite in size. She was tempted to bite his hand viciously, but gathered her energy quickly. Her eyes shut on instinct and she let her energy flow through her through the Force.

"Now," his deep and coarse voice soothing to her ears, "I really would appreciate it if you—"

Her body shoved the blistering energy outwards, sending the man stumbling back in the tight spaced alley. His face was caught in surprise as he fumbled with his footing and fell onto his back harshly, knocking the wind out of him.

Her eyes flashed back open and a devious smile crossed her rosy lips. She drew her lightsaber hilt and triggered the glowing scarlet 'blade of beauty.' Immediately, she pounced over to his body and stood over him, lowering the tip of the blade close to his face.

"Damnit," he bellowed. "Please, would you put that damn toy away?"

Rage ignored the comment and sneered at him. "Why did you attack me?" She inched the blade closer to his forehead.

"I didn't attack you. I thought you were someone else I was looking for." His face stood composed.

"Sure. Now, tell me what you want. This lightsaber is growing heavier each second. What would happen if my arm gave out?" The same smile appeared on her mouth once more, enjoying the limelight.

"Well," a voice from behind Rage began, "First, you'd burn a hole through his skull. Then, I'd have to kick your ass." The chipper voice was teasing and Rage turned her head to see Athena. "I see you've met my brother."

"Brother?" Rage deactivated her saber and looked at the man lying on the ground between her legs.

He pulled her down onto his chest and in the most uncomfortable of ways, rolled over. He pinned her down and smiled at her, a sense of victory lingering. He leaned his lips to her ear and her heart choked up. "That's right," he spoke in his devilish tone, "I'm Athena's big bad brother. Darrsok Rose." He pressed his lips to her forehead quickly and got himself off her like nothing. "Where've you been Athena?"

"Nowhere that concerns you, Darrsok. Rage?" Athena watched her friend get up and dust herself off.

"Athena," she heaved out, "It's good to see you again." She smiled and pulled her hood back up. She felt the blood rushing to her cheeks from Darrsok's lips and ignored it. _Males are scum_, she thought to herself in hopes it would make some of the moods disperse.

"Same here." She grinned, obviously not noticing her friend's change in color.

"You nearly put a hurt on my assets," Darrsok goaded at Rage playfully.

"Athena," Rage grinned, annoyed, "Your brother's ego is the size of Corellia."

"Tell me about it," Athena agreed.

"Hey now," Darrsok defended, looking slightly hurt. "I'm not that bad. Why can't I be cocky?"

"Because," Athena looked bored with the subject, "If you get cocky, then you think you can bang every chick in the galaxy. It's quite sad watching you, really."

"Oh, come on. What girl doesn't want a piece of this?" He waved a hand across his body as if to present it.

"Any girl with a brain," Rage answered simply.

"Careful now, Rage. Keep up the attitude and I'm gonna' have to make you work for it." He winked at her and let his eyes wander around her body.

Rage shook her, becoming flustered with Darrsok. "Athena, let's go see your grandfather before I murder your damn brother."

Athena laughed and led them through the alleyway with her in front and Darrsok in the back. Rage knew that meeting Darrsok hadn't been pleasant and that whatever other time they saw each other would be a mess as well. She couldn't exactly pinpoint the feeling, but she expected he would be some fun in the future. She wondered if he would ever be of good assistance to her in the plans she had ready for action. At the point, things changed.

If only she'd known the true difference between their minds. She wanted him to become her accomplice in the small plans she'd prepared. He wanted her in the bed.

7


End file.
